Ilyos Zeytullayev: Uzbekistan Caused Great Problems for Colombia

Former Uzbekistan national team midfielder and current head coach of Bunyodkor Ilyos Zeytullayev shared his thoughts on the national team's debut match (1:3) against Colombia in the first round of the 2026 World Cup group stage.

From Ilyos Zeytullayev's interview with Metaratings.ru:

"After Fayzullayev scored, Uzbekistan seemed to find its game. The team woke up and sought to play offensively. In matches of this level, greater international experience is crucial for victory. Right now, Uzbekistan is gaining exactly that experience. Uzbekistan caused great problems for Colombia and will not make it easy for other opponents either."

3 key conclusions from the expert's opinion

Despite the defeat, Zeytullayev highlighted the following positive factors:

• Psychological impact of the goal: Abbosbek Fayzullayev's header not only went down in history but also gave our players psychological freedom. After the goal, the team overcame the nerves of the big stage and began to show its game.

• The most valuable factor — International experience: The World Cup is a completely different level and a field of intense pressure. According to the experienced former legionnaire, our representatives are currently gaining the 'atmosphere of major tournaments' directly on the pitch, which is essential for the future.

• A serious signal to opponents: Despite being debutants, the Uzbekistan national team forced the defense of Colombia, a regular World Cup participant and one of the giants, to sweat seriously. This indicates that we will not be an easy prey for the remaining opponents in the group.

As a reminder, our representatives face two more serious tests in Group K: matches against Portugal on June 23 and DR Congo on June 27. We wish our national team luck in the upcoming games!